Trials and Transitions
by Andrew Joshua Talon
Summary: ON HOLD: Chapter 6: You're the Next Captain of the Nadesico!... R&R!
1. Oh Boy

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Author's Note: This is my first _Martian Successor Nadesico _fan fiction. It's going to be a somewhat limited series, as I intend for Jun to come back. He's one of my favorite characters. Having a father who actually was an officer in the US Navy, I've come to know and learn a lot of the functions of the crew and officers aboard a warship, and it's because of this I appreciate all the work that Jun does as the executive officer (ESPECIALLY with a captain like Yurika).

You can consider this an AU if you like (as I detest the Yurika/Akito pairing, and Yurika in general, though I've tried to be fair to her), as I'm going to have some decidedly non-canon happenings occur. If you don't like the idea of Akito with anyone but Yurika, an American (who, BTW, is NOT supposed to be me) being on the crew, or the Jun/Megumi pairing, just hit the back-button.

If not, enjoy!

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Trials and Transitions

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Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: _Martian Successor Nadesico_ is not my property. I am not making any profit on this endeavor in any way.

Jun Aoi wash adrift, his mind a loose and undeterred buoy, in a vast, turbulent sea. He couldn't seem to focus, his thoughts went here and there. A snippet of an emotion here, a feeling there, a faint image or a full one that flashed before his eyes.

His mother had featured prominently. A small, shapely woman, with a gentle smile and warm eyes, eyes that had never shown anger towards him. He could recall her smile shining down on him, her arms holding his small form upon her lap. The warmth of her dress, the smell of her body wash... It was all clear to him, as clear as the day he'd first experienced it, and then gone again, only a few telltale memories lingering.

Yurika, too, appeared a great deal. Her smile, the one she rarely bestowed upon him during their stay aboard the _Nadesico_, but one that had always made Jun's heart light and warm, and reassured him with peace and confidence. A few memories with Yurika's image that had anger imprinted onto them, bitterness, jealousy, also emerged. Jun would have shuddered if he could still feel his body - As it was, he was simply happy to have those memories pass him by.

What he'd hoped to see was memories of Megumi, his semi-girlfriend. They'd been together for coffee, tea, even shared a few experiences in the VR room off duty...

Ah. There she was.

She had been sitting at the bar in the Officer's Lounge, dressed to kill, sipping her drink, glancing at her watch from time to time. He'd been sitting nearby, hoping to drown his sorrows in some hard liquor, as Yurika had been... _especially_ trying, that day. He could remember the volume of her violet hair, the light scent of her perfume, how her dress hugged the compact curves of her body perfectly. How she'd sighed, and how he'd been moved to anger at Tenkawa, that bastard... How could he stand up such a woman? Was he insane? he'd pondered...

And then, the memory was gone. And Jun was left alone again, unable to do anything about it...

"Your shift starts in six minutes."

"I know..." Megumi Reinard sighed deeply, the small sickbay chair she was settled in hard and uncomfortable. She looked over at the pale, sickly form lying in the

bed next to her, only the sounds of the heart monitor, and the respirator strapped to his face breaking the still silence of the medical bay. She gripped Jun's hand a bit tighter, her green eyes peering ever more into the face of the comatose first officer.

Inez Fressange crossed her arms, looking at the communications officer and the patient. She shook her head and sighed.

"You know, out of everyone aboard this ship, he's probably been in here the most," the blonde noted, walking forward and stopping next to Megumi. The comms officer nodded, her eyes still locked on Jun's face.

"I suppose that comes from having to do two jobs at once," Megumi murmured, a hint of bitterness in her tone. Inez raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know it's hard... To let go of a grudge. But it was Jun who ran down into the hanger bay, all by himself. Yur... The captain didn't order him to."

"If _she_ hadn't sent us into that fire fight, he wouldn't have _had_ to," Megumi growled, her free hand clenching against her side. Inez sighed deeply, knowing where the communications officer was coming from, but having more experience and patience to deal with the stirring of emotions that accompanied that transition.

"The _Cosmos _and six other battleships were already in the battle... We were told to escort those transports... We weren't SUPPOSED to go in there..." Megumi

muttered angrily. Visions of the Fifth Battle for the moon danced in her mind's eye: The _Nadesico _charging into battle, that heavily-damaged Jovian cruiser that had, for some reason or another, decided to ram them head-on. The resulting overload of the Nergal battleship's systems, the fires that had broken out in the hanger bay.

Fires that the automated systems couldn't put out due to the power blackouts.

The Captain ordering the hanger bays evacuated and sealed off, internal sensor reports that the fires were beginning to spread, Ruri's announcement a few minutes later that the bays were being manually decompressed, the Captain asking by whom, and Megumi looking away from her console, up at the command platform, and noticing that the first officer's station was empty...

"No... I suppose not," Inez responded quietly, putting her hand on Megumi's shoulder. "But it happened... And there's no way to change that. And being angry at the captain isn't going to help."

"..." Megumi sighed deeply, standing up. She bent over and kissed Jun's cheek, before turning and heading out the double doors. Inez watched her go, before looking over at the prone form of their first officer.

"Well... former first officer," Inez muttered, shaking her head and walking back to her office. She still didn't like the idea of replacing Aoi while he was in his comatose state, while on ship. However, she, Nergal, and everyone aboard this ship knew that it was Jun, and ONLY Jun, who had kept the paperwork going, the crew equipped and motivated, and had allowed Yurika to keep her mind (such as it was, she couldn't help but jab) on the strategic situation. He was the perfect first officer, doing everything that was required of the position and more.

And no-one else on this ship could do it as well as he had.

She just hoped the new guy could make up the slack.

Megumi entered the bridge, walking determinedly for her station, like she'd been doing for the past year. Yurika turned away from talking with Mr. Hory, and had locked eyes with her. Megumi glared resolutely back, as the captain cleared her throat.

"Um... So... How is Jun?"

"Check for yourself," Megumi spat, stalking down the steps from the command platform and sitting down at her station without another word. Yurika opened her mouth, closed it, then shook her head and looked out of the forward windows, to the blue ocean below. The _Nadesico_ had been assigned to patrol the Atlantic ocean, with the Second Allied Fleet. This also allowed the ship to make some badly needed repairs and transfers. "Ruri... Has our new first officer arrived yet?"

"His shuttle will be docking in ten minutes, Captain," the operations officer reported, her eyes moving with unseen data. "Aft bay."

"Very well, then... Shall we, Captain?" Mr. Prospector, ship's accountant, asked. Yurika nodded, her usually bubbly personality absent as she turned and left the bridge, following the accountant. Yurika sighed deeply, her thoughts on her absent best friend.

__

He didn't have to do it... So why did he? I don't understand...

Jun had always been there for her, she realized. Always, always, always. When they'd played as children, he'd been her "knight in shining armor" At the academy, her greatest advocate and friend. And he'd been there for her once again. Yurika shook her head. He'd ALWAYS been there, why hadn't she figured it out sooner?

She supposed it was because of the reactions of some of the crew to this turn of events. Megumi's hostility, and Akito's relative quietness towards her. All right, fine: So she'd visited sick bay to check on Akito. He'd been in the hanger bays, she'd just wanted to know he was all right, what with shipboard communications offline.

She'd arrived just in time to see Jun being wheeled in on a gurney, grim-faced medics surrounding him. Following him had been Uribatake, Megumi, and Akito, who were stopped at the entrance to the medical bay by Fressange.

"Akito! Oh, thank goodness you're allright! How's-" Megumi had fixed her with a murderous glare at that point, which brought the captain up short. The former voice actress strode forward, even as Akito and Uribatake moved to stop her-

_Smack._ Yurika put her gloved hand on her cheek, still slightly red from the impact of Megumi's small hand. The communications officer had been breathing heavily, eyes alight with fury, as she screamed,_"Is that all you care about?! Jun's lying in there, nearly dead, and all you can think about is Akito?!"_

Yurika had stepped back, shocked, while Akito and Uribatake had struggled to keep Megumi at bay, holding onto her arms and waist with all their strength. But they could not stop her mouth.

__

"You bitch! The entire crew could die and you wouldn't give a damn! Jun's the only reason any of us are still alive, and yet you're still on with your obsession?! I hate you!I hope you burn in hell, you idiotic whore! I HATE YOU!"

"...aptain? Captain Mizamura? Are you all right?" Yurika blinked, bringing herself abruptly to the present. Prospector was looking on at her in the lift, concerned.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine... No need to worry..." Yurika smiled at him, as the accountant nodded warily. Yurika turned to the lift doors, just as they opened out onto the _Nadesico's_ hanger deck. She stepped forward, Prospector silently following.

Repair crews were still at work, replacing burnt-out bulkheads, repainting the deck plates, all under Cheif Uribatake's watchful eyes.

"HEY YOU, JUNPEI! WHAT'S WITH THE PUSSY-FOOTING?! PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT, DAMNIT! THE HATCH WON'T PAINT ITSELF!"

And megaphone. Yurika winced slightly at the additional rants the chief put forth, and she resolutely wealked past him, to the aft hanger platform. The shuttlecraft had

already landed, it's landing struts still settling in a cacophony of squeaks and mettallic groans. She stopped a few meters away from the shuttle's outer hatch, Mr. Prospector waiting beside her.

The hatch opened with a hiss, slowly lowering down and revealing steps. As it settled upon the deck with a click, a tall, black-haired young man appeared at the hatch, dressed in a blue utility jumpsuit, combat boots, and carrying a duffle bag over his right shoulder. He nodded and smiled at the captain, and raised his hand in a salute.

"Lieutenant Jonathan Lee, requesting permission to come aboard, ma'am." Yurika smiles slightly, and returns the salute.

"Permission granted, Mr. Lee." Lee walked down the steps, meeting Yurika's outstretched hand in a business-like handshake.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Captain, and pleased to be serving under you," Lee continues, after withdrawing his hand to his side. "We've been hearing a lot about you and the _Nadesico_ in the States."

"Oh? You're from America?" Prospector and Lee promptly sweatdropped, but the lieutenant continued on as though he hadn't noticed.

"Er... Yes ma'am. I was in the United States Navy before we were integrated with the UEF." Lee shrugged, smiling in a slightly nervous sort of way. "Captain?"

"Yes?"

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Of course! And you may breathe freely, as well," Yurika added, smiling broadly. Lee returned the expression, feeling a bit less tense with the captain's joke, no matter how bad it was.

"To be entirely honest, I don't know why I was assigned to this vessel. It's not that I didn't want to be assigned to a front-line combat starship. However... Given my credentials, I was actually expecting to be assigned planetside."

"Oh? Why?"

"I've mainly functioned as a training officer, Captain. My last two assignments were both as an instructor." Yurika blinked, and looked over at Prospector, who shrugged.

"You came highly recommended by the UEF brass, Mr. Lee. And, this was on rather short-notice."

"Do you have a problem with your duties aboard the _Nadesico_, Lieutenant?" Yurika asked, a concerned wrinkle upon her brow. Lee shook his head, his face professional.

"No ma'am. I have been trained for it. It's just... I don't have any experience aboard a battleship."

"Well, you'll pick it up soon enough! Everyone else has! Now, I'm afraid you have to go and find your quarters. Your shift begins in an hour. Off you go!" Yurika said with a smile and nod, which Lee returned, and with a final salute, he headed off for the turbolift. Prospector looked over at the captain, blinking curiously.

"Didn't you read his file?"

"Of course I did."

"So, why did you act as though you didn't know his history?" Yurika smiled at the accountant.

"Simple. His psyche profile reads him as a man who likes to talk. He's comfortable getting everything out into the open. So, I decided to oblige him. And after all, I like to talk too! So everyone wins!" Yurika turned and headed for the lift, pausing when she noticed that Prospector wasn't with her. She turned back and glared.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"... I'll never understand her," the accountant sighed deeply under his breath, before walking along after his shapely captain to the lift.

****

Sorry if I got some of the characters OOC, and that I didn't get to Akito. He'll be featuring prominently in the next chapter.

I also apologize if I made Megumi too adversarial. Then again, she has shown herself able to express great anger, and in the heat of the moment, who knows what she might say? Or anyone.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. R&R, please!


	2. Portents of Doom

Talon: Woo hoo! I saw the third Harry Potter movie, and it rocked!

Ruri: It was completely rearranged from the book, and several key scenes were missing.

Talon: (shrug) So? That doesn't detract from it's coolness. And anyway, how would YOU know? You're not a Harry Potter fan, are you?

Ruri: ... Idiot.

Talon: Who saw this coming?

Trials and Transitions

Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: _Martian Successor Nadesico_ is not my property. I am not making any profit on this endeavor in any way.

"... The captain's late."

"Again."

"Again?"

"Yes. Again." Lieutenant Lee scratched his left arm, gritting his teeth at his new, white-pressed, and rather itchy, Nergal-issue uniform. He sat at the captain's console, having just finished up a week's worth of paperwork (some of this stuff, he didn't get: The chief engineer requisitioning a dozen boxes of soda straws? He REALLY

didn't get that, but after his reading into Chief Uribitake's record of extraordinarily successful projects involving incredibly ordinary items, he'd decided to simply sign it and move on), and was alone on the bridge with Operations officer Ruri Hoshino.

The "electronic fairy" was somewhat surprised at this new first officer's attitude towards her. Most of the crew, with Akito and the captain being notable exceptions, treated her like a little kid. Lee, however, simply asked for reports, had requested her input on a few minor matters, and generally acted, well...

Normally. Ruri mentally shrugged, adjusting a minor atmosphere leak on the starboard heating unit, while Lee stretched in his chair, and stood up.

"Hm... Dare I ask why's she frequently late?"

"I take it, from your tone, that you've discovered our captain's eccentric nature in the nine hours you've been here."

"Well, this IS the first time I've been welcomed aboard a ship with a model Aestavalis," the XO noted with a slight smirk, walking down the steps from the command platform to the control deck. He observed Ruri working at the computer console, her eyes focused on her work but still alert to her surroundings.

"How were you usually welcomed aboard your past assignments?"

"Oh, the standard handshake, introduction to the crew, assignment of quarters, and getting to work. Not so different, I guess..."

"But different enough."

"Hm," Lee grunted in acknowledgement, looking over at the pilot's stations arranged towards the bow.

"I am curious. Why were you assigned to this vessel?"

"Hell if I know," Lee sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "I was onboard the _America_, a training carrier, before. Before that, McKinley Station. My nickname back at the Naval Academy was the 'School Teacher', and I guess it's the perfect fit. I'm not ashamed of it, it's let me do some good."

"I doubt that that title will do you any good on this ship."

"Oh? Why?"

"The crew are a bunch of idiots." Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Mm?"

"Yes, they all are. The captain, while a tactical and strategic genius, is a complete ditz, and often forgoes her duties in favor of pursuing our cook/pilot, Akito Tenkawa."

"Pursuing? As in, romantically?" Lee asked, blinking. He'd reminded himself that, as this WAS a mercenary warship, the Nadesico didn't have to prescribe to the International Uniformed Code of Justice, and thus didn't have to comply with it's Anti-Fraternization Laws. Lee considered this all in a moment, as Ruri was still speaking.

"Correct. The communications officer Megumi Reinard, while competent, is somewhat cruel towards our captain, mainly because she also has some feelings for Mr. Tenkawa. Our former first officer was probably the only truly stable person here, but he had a slight romantic interest in the captain, which she was completely oblivious to."

"Hm..."

"Ms. Minato, our first helmswoman, is a gossip. Our co-helmswoman, Ms. Wong, is manipulative, overly-ambitious, and a control freak. Doctor Fressange is impassive, cold, and somewhat bizarre, even by my standards. Cheif Uribatake is a would-be womanizer and a spaz. Nagare Akatsuki, our newest Aestavalis pilot, is arrogant and slimy. Pilot Hikaru Amano is an otaku fan girl, Pilot Izumi Maki is depressed, spacey, and a really bad poet, Pilot Ryoko Subaru is aggressive and moody, and our accountant, Mr. Prospector, is a liar and a constant thorn from Nergal Heavy Industries."

"... And they're all serving aboard this ship, because...?"

"Nergal is too cheap to get a socially-adjusted crew." Ruri concluded, doing her work all this time. Lee nodded, sighing deeply once more.

"Oi..."

"Don't get me wrong. Everyone's good at what they do on the _Nadesico_. It's simply difficult to try to put it into any kind of order."

"Well, in that case, I'm out of a job," Lee smirked, leaning his back against the front of the control consoles.

"Not really. If it were impossible, I, too, would be out of a job."

"Because you're the only one who takes her duties seriously."

"Essentially, aside from Mr. Tenkawa, perhaps."

"Tenkawa again," Lee murmured, narrowing his eyes. "He seems to be a hot issue on this ship."

"Most of the women aboard the _Nadesico _are interested in him sexually," Ruri bluntly stated. "While he is an excellent pilot, level-headed, and (I suppose) good-looking, I cannot help but find myself amazed at the attention he receives."

"It was the same at my high school," Lee said, grinning slightly. "Some dopey, slightly-nerdy guy, who was sweet and nice, had every girl lusting after him... And the idiot didn't even notice."

"That sounds like something out of a bad anime."

"It does indeed, but that's how it was."

"Still, sir, perhaps you will learn to like being on this ship. You seem like a reasonable, hard-working individual."

"Thank you, Ms. Hoshino. And I intend to try and make the best of it." The American finally opened his eyes and grinned at Ruri.

"Even if I do have to 'pick up the toys', after recess."

"Odd. I have heard Lieutenant Aoi mutter the same thing under his breath."

"It's universally known as the 'First Officer's Lament'..."

"That's the second time you've sighed in a minute."

"You're keeping track?"

"Well, it's that, or... Listen to that beep, beep, beep, beep," Haruka Minato 'beeped', smiling slightly at Megumi Reinard from the other side of the hospital bed. The comms officer scowled slightly, before resuming looking on the pale face of her would-be boyfriend.

"You know, you don't HAVE to be here."

"No... But I want to. I can leave, if you want."

"... It's up to you."

"You know, being angry at the captain for the rest of your life isn't going to make the pain go away," Haruka advised, smiling her 'Mona Lisa' smile. Megumi sighed deeply, holding Jun's hand a little tighter.

"... I know... I can't help it, though... I'm just... So, SO angry at her," Megumi uttered, her teeth gritting of their own accord. "I've lost Akito to her... And I can't help feeling I might lose Jun to her, too..."

"I know it hurts... I really do," Haruka soothed, "and I'm not going to tell you how to fix it."

"Why not?"

"Because, it's something you have to find out for yourself."

"Meaning, you don't know?"

"... Not in this particular situation," Haruka admitted, smiling guiltily. "But hey... You have to square with your feelings some day."

"I know, I know..."

"So, what do you think of Lieutenant Lee? I mean, he's been here for nine hours," Haruka grinned. "How long did it take for you to get a crush on Jun?"

"Shut up!"

"Sorry, sorry... That was in terrible taste."

"No kidding... Well... He seems... All right. I feel sorry for him, though."

"Because he has to deal with the captain?"

"Yes... And, since he doesn't have that romantic interest to keep him patient, things might..."

"Become a LOT more interesting..."

"Hello, everyone! Your captain is here!" Lieutenant Lee looked up from the status report he had been typing up, and gave Yurika a hard look.

"Captain, you're late."

"Yes, I know... Sorry, I got a bit distracted in the kitchen."

"Ah, that explains the scream we heard earlier," Ruri deadpanned, and Lee couldn't help but smile slightly. Yurika looked crestfallen.

"I was just cooking something for my dear Akito! Really! And, well, I kind of got distracted..."

"By something shiny," Ruri noted, causing Lee to bite down a snicker. Damn, that girl had an arid wit.

"Really Ruri, that's not true! ... Well, all right it's a LITTLE true... Look! I'm on duty now, so you don't have to be!"

"No thank you, ma'am. I still have some paperwork to get done," Lee sighed, stepping out of the captain's seat, and taking the first officer's post, resuming the status log entry, while Yurika sat down in her chair and cheerfully looked over the bridge.

"Status report?"

"Nothing on long-range sensors," Ruri reported.

"No unusual shipboard activity, captain," Lee added, briefly switching over to the internal sensors.

"All crew accounted for, all fighters in hanger bay, captain," Ruri noted.

"Hm... Where's Minato and Megumi? And Mr. Houry, for that matter?"

"Ms. Minato and Reinard are in sickbay. Mr. Houry is in his quarters," Ruri spoke. "It is all three's off-shift."

"Well then, where is Ms. Wong? It's her shift, isn't it?"

"Apparently, she is in... Mr. Tenkawa's quarters."

"Oh, that's-WHAT?!" Yurika stood up, fury burning in her eyes.

"That... Oh that... Grrrrr! Mr. Lee, take command! I'll be right back!" And with that, Yurika ran off, entering the lift and heading down, while the object of her wrath appeared nonchalantly through the control deck's port entrance.

"Sorry I'm late, Prospector had me in a meeting," Erina Wong yawned, before looking around the bridge in confusion. "Where's the captain?"

"Subject to a prank, I'm guessing," Lee stated, looking down at Ruri with a bland expression. Ruri sighed.

"I'm busted."

"What did she do?" Erina sighed heavily.

"Used the captain's obsession with Mr. Tenkawa to send her on a wild goose chase," Lee added, raising an eyebrow. "Ms. Hoshino, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"It was too good of an opportunity to pass up?"

"Hm..." Lee's serious face was replaced by a wide grin. "Cool." Ruri blinked up at the XO, as did Erina, having taken her seat.

"You're not upset?"

"Yes, why aren't you disapproving of her actions? Not that I would, mind you, but..." Erina trailed off, waiting for the American's response. Lee's grin widened.

"Simple. It is the right of every crewmember aboard a ship, as long as it does not cause harm to the vessel, crew or mission, to prank their superior officers, in order to alleviate tension and build character. I myself pranked my superiors... And fellow officers... And crewmates... And subordinates... Not to mention students..."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this guy?" Erina muttered under her breath, as Ruri looked on the XO in interest.

"How, if I may ask, sir?"

"Well, once, we wrapped a midshipman in duct tape, like a mummy, so that all he could do was see and breathe. Then, we put him on a gurney, leaned him up against the door to the captain's stateroom, and knocked. When the captain opened his door, the midshipman fell in, his eyes were so wide! The captain caught him, pushed him back into the gurney, and said to another officer nearby, in this serious voice,' I'm done with Mr. Lowe, please thank him and show him to his quarters.' Oh, it was great! We were laughing so hard," Lee chuckled, the memory still fresh. Ruri blinked, as Erina shook her head with a sigh.

"That doesn't seem very nice," Ruri noted. Lee shrugged.

"It was always done in good fun, Ms. Hoshino. Nothing to really hurt someone, you see. And besides, it's always nice to see who can be more inventive in their pranks."

"Hm..."

"Well, nobody had better prank me," Erina growled, casting a critical eye at the American. Lee smiled innocently.

"Who, me?"

"Ruri! Akito and Erina weren't there at all! What- Oh." Yurika began, but stopped when she caught sight of her co-helmswoman. Erina smiled sweetly at the captain.

"Something wrong, captain?"

"No, no... Nothing," Yurika said, with some finality, casting a suspicious eye at the other woman as she sat down at her console. Ruri and Lee exchanged looks; Ruri, a hint of a smile, and Lee, an evil grin.

"Hey, Akito! The captain's been gone for a while, you can come out of the cupboard now," Ms. Howmei grinned, knocking on the cupboard door with a broom handle. The cupboard shook, as a hesitant voice emerged.

"Um, I can't. I'm stuck."

"Oh no!" Cried the Howmei girls, gathering around their mentor, as Ms. Howmei gave the cupboard a critical eye. She reached out for the door handle, jiggled it, and rubbed her chin.

"Hm... Looks like some bonehead jammed the lock. Hold on, Tenkawa, we'll get you out!"

"What's up? Where's Tenkawa? Isn't he supposed to be cooking now?" Akatsuki Nagare asked, smirking as he stuck his long-haired head through the window. Ms. Howmei grabbed a crowbar and tried to jam it into the door of the cupboard.

"He's stuck in the cupboard!" Announced one of the Howmei girls, as they all got around the tool and pulled, hoping to lodge the door free. Nagare chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Aw... Hiding from the captain again, Tenkawa?"

"Shut up!" Akito yelled from inside the cupboard, as the rest of the kitchen staff pulled even hard against the door.

"Argh... C'mon, you stupid piece of junk! Well, don't just stand there gawking! Help out, idiot!" Ms. Howmei growled, as Akatsuki shrugged, grinning, as he leapt over the counter and took hold of the nearest Howmei girl, pulling her and adding to the force.

"Hey Tenkawa! Try pushing against the door!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Akito wailed, nudging an elbow against the hard metal surface. All involved grunted, pulling, pushing, as the cupboard stood resilient.

Everyone was so concentrated on their work (and a few on how Mr. Nagare's body felt against their's), that no-one noticed another person entering the room.

BANG!

"WAHHHH!"

CRASH!

Akito, Ms. Howmei, Akatsuki, and all five of the Howmei girls lay in a heap, groaning next to the shattered remains of the cupboard. Seiya Uribatake grinned, blowing on the muzzle of his pistol as he spun it around his finger.

"Perfect timing."

****

R&R!


	3. Mommy!

****

Trials and Transitions

Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: _Martian Successor Nadesico_ is not my property. I am not making any profit on this endeavor in any way.

"Lieutenant Lee, Mr. Urabitake." Lee and the engineer both looked up from their monitor, to see Erina Wong at the door to the Secondary Operations room.

"Yes, Ms. Wong?"

"Lt., I don't know what you're doing in here, but for some reason it strikes me as very suspicious," Erina stated coldly, striding gracefully into the room. She peered over the two men's shoulders, and blinked at the site of their espionage.

"Why are you two looking into the captain's quarters?"

"How do you know it's the captain's quarters?" Uribatake asked, his eyes dancing shiftily, as Lee sighed and rolled his own.

"Who else has a shrine to Mr. Tenkawa up in it?" Erina asked, pointing at the wall covered in pictures of said cook/Aestivales pilot. Lee smirked.

"Yours?" Erina flushed bright scarlet, before narrowing her eyes.

"Were you two perverts looking at my quarters?!"

"No. We haven't even looked in yours, or anyone else's," Lee admonished, before adopting a speculative expression at the co-helmswoman."Unless, you DO have a shrine to Mr. Tenkawa in your quarters?"

"Hey, I'm not the one violating the captain's privacy here, so you two haven't the right to question what I have or have not got in my quarters!" Seethed Wong, willing herself to calm down, as the two men smirked at eachother.

"Actually, we're just looking to see a little surprise we cooked up for the captain come to fruitation," Uribatake clarified, grinning evilly. He looked at his watch.

"And, according to my calculations, it should bloom in five... four... three... two..."

"AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" The screen immediately was filled with the image of Captain Misamura, strategic genius and so-called "Queen of Mars", running around in a sleeping gown... With her skin turned completely green. Her blue eyes bugging out and her wide, still-red mouth gave her the impression of an Australian lizard rushing about on it's hind legs.

Lee and Uribatake were already laughing, so hard tears were pouring down their cheeks, when the captain first came into view. It took Erina's self control a few extra seconds to break down before she, too, was laughing hysterically, pounding the top of Lee's chair with her fist.

"Whew! Man Ryoko, you got me badly that time..."

"Oh c'mon, Akito! You nearly got me too! You just missed one hole in my defense."

"I'll keep that in mind..."

"I'm sure she wouldn't have minded if you broke through that hole... Or a few others," leered pilot Izumi Maki, sitting with Hikaru Amano nearby the Aestivalis simulators that Ryoko and Akito were just getting out of. Both pilots blushed, before Ryoko fixed her two teammates with a furious glare.

"Shut it, you brats!"

"Oh, did we touch a sore spot?" Hikaru giggled.

"She has one big one, it'd be hard to tell," Izumi stage whispered to Hikaru, before both fell into hysterics. Ryoko snarled angrily, and rushed towards the two, which in turn sent Izumi and Hikaru running with squeals of laughter. Akito shook his head and sighed, looking at the ceiling.

"Sheesh, those three..." Akito smiled fondly after the three shrieking women, before he checked his watch and groaned.

"Great... I have a meeting with Mr. Prospector... And I'm late..." Sighed the Martian, before turning and heading for the lift.

"I'M GREEN! GREEN AS YOUNG WOOD! GREEN AS GRASS! GREEN AS-"

"Akito after eating something of yours?" Megumi asked nonchalantly, from her station on the bridge. Yurika ceased crying for a moment, before crying again, even louder, and running off the bridge. Ruri looked up at the command deck, where Lieutenant Lee sighed, leaning his arm against his console.

"It's difficult to enjoy a good prank when the victim responds like that," Lee uttered, going back to typing up a status report. Ruri nodded, and returned to her duties, monitoring the ship.

"She acts like a baby. She'll get over it once she sees her 'precious Akito'," Sneered Megumi, turning a page in her magazine. Lee riased an eyebrow at the communications officer, blinking curiously.

"You have an enormous amount of venom for the captain."

"Yes sir, I do..." Lee leaned back in his chair, and studied the former voice actress. He shook his head: She was the first person he'd met who seemed to _sit_ angrily.

"It has something to do with Lt. Aoi, I'm guessing?"

"Yes _sir_..."

__

And I'm not helping matters much, Lee sighed internally, before resuming his paperwork. Ruri turned her head to Megumi who looked at the 'electronic fairy' with a sigh.

"Yes Ruri, I know... 'I'm a cruel person'."

"I wasn't going to say that, actually. I was going to note that we have an incoming message," Ruri stated, pointing at Megumi's flashing console. Megumi hit the nessecary button as a holographic screen appeared before them.

__

"JONATHAN XAVIER LEE! WHAT IN HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Lee jumped clear out of his seat, the back of his head colliding with the captain's desk. With an "ow!", he looked up at the holoscreen, wide-eyed.

"M-Mom?" A severe, fifty-something (but attractive) black-and-silver-haired woman with stone grey eyes towered over the bridge of the _Nadesico_, scowling at her son. She was dressed in the green pantsuit of the United States Army, with numerous decorations upon her jacket.

"_Jonathan, how dare you turn your captain's skin green! The poor dear is sobbing her eyes out as we speak!"_

"You-she-how-?"

__

"Her father graciously gave me a comm link into her quarters! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Yes ma'am!" Lee responded, trembling. Ruri looked up at Lee's terrifying mother, and back to Lee again. She couldn't see any resemblence between them...

"Excuse me, Mrs. Lee?" Ruri said, raising her hand as though she were back in school. Mrs. Lee looked down at Ruri with a scowl, that quickly reverted to a fond, charming smile.

__

"Yes, dear? How may I help you?"

"To be honest, ma'am, I assisted Lieutenant Lee with his prank on our captain. I, too, share in the blame." Mrs. Lee blinked, before smiling compassionately at the young girl.

__

"Oh, don't you worry, Miss..."

"Hoshino. Ruri Hoshino."

__

"Ruri? What a lovely name... In any event, it's not your fault. He is_ your _superior _officer, after all, and he should act with more _grace _and _civility_... _Isn't that right, Jonathan?!"

"Yes Mom," Lee said quietly, shaking slightly as he stood up. His mother was _never_ someone you wanted angry at you, no siree.

"_Good! Major General Grace Stewart Lee, signing off."_ And with a final scowl at her son, Mrs. Lee disappeared. Megumi blinked awkwardly, before looking up at the still-pale Lieutenant.

"Um... General?"

"Yeah... She and my dad were... Very competitive... In the Army. I thought that, in the Navy, I'd be... less conspicous."

"Hm..."

"Please, Ms. Reinard... Don't say it. Don't say anything..."

"Your mother is very imperious... Is she always like this?" Ruri asked.

"Well, she was always a 'proper Southern lady', as my dad was always the 'proper Southern gentleman'. They raised me strictly but fairly and lovingly." Lee grinned ironically.

"And I was scared _only_ because my mother has only yelled at me like that once before..."

"Which was...?" Prodded Megumi. Lee sighed.

"When I did something abysmally stupid and foolish."

"Which was?" Pressed Megumi. Lee cringed slightly.

"When I tried to jump off the Sears Tower in Chicago with my blanket as a parachute..."

"Curious that Admiral Misamura would have a comm link directly into the captain's quarters," noted Ruri, returning to her work. "And curious that he would respond so quickly."

"Which means..." Megumi stopped, and looked up at Lee, before the two shared a nod. Lee narrowed his eyes grimly, looking out at the stars ahead.

"Mother or no mother, in the words of Bugs Bunny, 'Of course you know, _this_ means war!'"

"Odd... My research indicates that Winston Churchill said that quote first."

"... Well... Yes... Fine. I was quoting Churchill through Bugs Bunny. There."

****

Look for the next installment! It's a duel of the pranksters, while Akito and Erina get some time alone!

Ryoko, Yurika, and Megumi: WHHHHHAAAAATTTT?!

Talon: Er…. Cut to commercial!

Ryoko, Yurika, and Megumi: GET BACK HERE YOU SLOP ARTIST!

Talon: AAAAAHHHHHH!


	4. Questions Raised

Yay! I'm finally continuing this odd but amusing little series of mine! So, here's the lowdown:

This is officially an AU. Lee originally joined the _Nadesico_ a little bit after episode 7 and before episode 8. Now, we're fast forwarding to episode 17: When Munetake goes nutso in the X-tevalis. The only real difference Lee's presence brought to the _Nadesico_ during this time was that he bonded a bit with Ruri, dressed down Akatsuki for a bit of his showboating, gave some encouragement to Akito, did a few more pranks with Uribatake and Erina, and was in Jun's place in most of the scenes he was (originally) featured in. Jun's still comatose and is still aboard the _Nadesico_ (much to the chagrin of Nergal, as is to be expected).

So yeah... I'll only be writing about when Lee's presence actually changes anything big in the series. Which, as time goes on, will become bigger and bigger changes. Now, don't get me wrong: Lee's no Mary Sue. He's more like the average Joe who just does his job to the best of his ability. But, in his position as XO, some of his decisions might have a bigger impact than they otherwise would...

And besides: For him to be a Nadesico Mary Sue, he'd have to be an Aesti pilot, but guess what? He's not. So ha!

Trials and Transitions

Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: _Martian Successor Nadesico_ is not my property. I am not making any profit on this endeavor in any way.

* * *

"Oh, I'm here my darling Akito! I am here in your-Huh?" Yurika had been hoping to catch Akito in the sick bay of the _Nadesico_, with the long line of people waiting to receive crisis counseling following the breaking of the news that their opponents were displaced humans. But, between the parted Red Sea of confused-looking crewmen sat pilot Izumi Maki and Dr. Fressange. Yurika blinked.

"If you're looking for Akito, captain, I think he's down in the hanger bay with Ryoko... And they're all alone," Inez teased. Yurika, turning a bit red, excused herself and ran off. Izumi turned back to Fressange, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you enjoy counseling, Dr. Fressange?" The blonde laughed slightly.

"Not really, but I find that listening to other people's problems takes my mind off my own," Fressange admitted, smirking in gallows humor.

"You must need a lot of patients then," Izumi observed, before breaking into her distinctive snort of laughter. Inez groaned, shaking her head, before calling the next crewman forward.

* * *

"Great... Just when I think we can win this thing? It has to come out that this war is no different from any other," Ryoko sighed, leaning over the railing of the catwalk over the hanger bay. Akito leaned nearby, also looking over, before sighing.

"Maybe, but..."

"Huh?" Ryoko asked, before Akito continued.

"I'm committed... To winning this thing." Ryoko stared at Akito in amazement, before smiling slightly.

"You're stronger than I thought..."

"You're just saying that," Akito sighed.

"No, it's true," cut in another voice to which Ryoko and Akito both turned to. Along the railing, also watching the flight deck ops, was Lee, looking tired. Akito cleared his throat. He hadn't had much contact with the new XO-he'd just been a guy he'd said hello to whenever they passed eachother in the passageways, and someone he took orders from. But...

"Sir?"

"Please... We're off duty. Just call me John," Lee sighed, shaking his head. "And you heard right: You've got conviction, kid. Which means strength."

"Right... John," Akito continued uneasily, before looking back down at the flight deck. "You... Like Aestis, John?"

"Well, watching the flight deck calms me down," Lee admitted. "Seeing the engineers, the workers-All committed to making sure your bird's ready to go next time you need it. It's... Good to know, that they're looking out for you." Akito blinked, and turned back, watching Uribitake giving orders and the hanger crew responding, transferring parts and supplies to each Aesti nestled into the bay.

"... Huh... Never thought of it like that before," the young Martian said softly, looking over the flight deck. Ryoko looked over at the first officer, her brow knit.

"Your bird? Were you a pilot, Si-Er, John?" Lee shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Sort of... I was a maintenance officer aboard the _Enterprise._ Basically, I kept the fighters in my squadron up and running, and I flew any that needed testing before handing them back over to their pilots. Mine was always the 'Hanger Queen'-The plane that was used for spare parts for the others in the squadron." Akito gave the XO a surprised look.

"You... Flew? But, you don't have... Well..." Lee raised up his bare, right hand, to Akito's IF marked one. Lee smirked.

"Nah... I flew with joysticks. I can't get a nanoprobe injection... My body chemistry's wrong for it. That's why I went into command." Akito nodded thoughtfully, returning his gaze back to the flight deck below. Ryoko followed suit, before asking,"Sir? Er, John?"

"Yes?"

"... What's your thinking on... You know... The war?" Lee shrugged.

"Fighting humans? Meh... Doesn't really bother me. I mean... Humans have proven themselves capable of a lot of bad things. I mean... Our race produced Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, Hussein, Manson - And now, members of our race have wiped out everyone on Mars without mercy, and have struck civilian centers without provocation. My opinion is that this doesn't change anything - Like Akito said, we need to win this thing." The cook/pilot gave the lieutenant an odd look.

"But... But, we exiled them! We threw them off the moon and sent them away into the cold of space!"

"Because they didn't want to pay taxes to the nations that supported them without representation," Lee reasoned. "Because Japan and China didn't like the idea of people from the moon having a say in their government. That's why the US and other nations have colonies on Venus that DO pay taxes and DO have a say in our governments. All of Earth, and the innocent people on Mars, shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of a few arrogant leaders in Asia." Ryoko grimaced.

"How can you say that it was just Japan and China's fault?!"

"Because no one from the United States, Europe, Korea, or any other nations were exiled a hundred years ago," Lee shrugged. "Look: All I'm saying is that, yes, mistakes were made. But, just attacking the rest of the human race for what a few did isn't right." Ryoko sighed deeply, shaking her head.

"The rest of Earth let all this happen... I'm thinking we reap what we sow..."

"Yes, we do... But not everyone sowed those seeds," Lee returned, not looking at the green-haired pilot. Ryoko shook her head, sighing, before resuming watching the flight deck at work.

* * *

"We have to stop him!" Akito shouted, as the X-tevalis ahead began to glow, it's gravity wave cannon firing up ahead.

"It's too late! It's going to blow!" Uribitake shouted over the comm. "Get out of there!"

"You heard the man! Get the fuck out of there!" Lee put in. Akito sighed angrily. True, he didn't like the admiral who was right now in that suit, apparently having lost his mind. But, he was still a human being! Akito moved forward, ignoring the light of the grav cannon.

"Tenkawa, what the hell do you think you're doing?! Get back here!" Lee roared over the communications channel. Akito ground his teeth and resolutely ignored the incoming transmissions, headed for the Admiral's Aesti.

"Akito! Stop! That's an order!" Shouted Yurika.

"AKITO!"

"Stop! Tenkawa, don't go!" Ryoko's Aesti came up behind his, and grabbed onto it's thruster pack. Akito tried to break free.

"I've got to get him! He shouldn't die! Not like this!" The X-tevalis glowed brighter than the sun, sending out a shockwave into both Aestivalis, knocking them back. It was just before the enlarged core of the admiral's suit went critical, blasting apart like a supernova. The blast sent both suits away like bullets, shooting through the blackness of space, spinning wildly. The _Nadesico_ and the _Cosmos_ both shook from the blast, as did the other Aestis, but their shields held.

"Damage report!" Lee shouted on the bridge of the _Nadesico,_ as the shockwave from the X-tevalis's death rocked the ship. Ruri's IF implants glowed brightly before she responded:

"Minor damage to forward shield generators. No other damage reported."

"Condition of our fighters and the _Cosmos?"_ Yurika ordered, grasping the armrests of her chair tightly as she fought to stay calm. She couldn't lose it, not now, not when Akito might be...

"All fighters aside from Mr. Tenkawa's and Ms. Subaru's register as operational," Ruri reported, sounding slightly flatter than normal. "While I can register that the fighters are intact, their energy signatures are gone."

"EMP," Mr. Houry noted. "Strong enough to black out their systems." Lee stood up and leaned over the command deck to look down directly at Megumi.

"Can you raise them?" Megumi shook her head.

"Nothing." Yurika stood up and cleared her throat.

"All right... Have Chief Uribitake prep to receive heavily-damaged fighters. Alert Dr. Fressange to prepare for incoming wounded. And have our operational fighters go in and bring them back."

* * *

Dun dun dunnnnnn!

NEXT TIME: Akito and Ryoko recover in the _Nadesico's _sickbay, and as a result grow closer. A secret about the US Space Forces is revealed. And Yurika begins to wonder about some of her previous convictions...

Akito and Ryoko recover in the sickbay, and as a result grow closer. A secret about the US Space Forces is revealed. And Yurika begins to wonder about some of her previous convictions... 

R&R!


	5. He's Back, Jack!

Episode 18 - Echoes of Self, Echoes of Water

While Ruri is with Akito...

Trials and Transitions

Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: _Martian Successor Nadesico_ is not my property. I am not making any profit on this endeavor in any way.

* * *

"Down trim, four degrees, Miss Minato."

"Down trim, four degrees, aye sir," the former secretary acknowledged, bringing the _Nadesico _roughly level within the confined of the Earth's atmosphere. Currently on patrol over the Atlantic, Lee stood on the command deck, watching the Nergal battleship's progress as it navigated through a tropical storm currently engulfing the Mid-Atlantic. They could, of course, simply go over the storm, but they had been assigned a strict patrol route. So strict, in fact, that Lee (and several of the crew) were wondering if the UESF was deliberately putting the _Nadesico_ into difficult positions.

There was that whole breaking the Big Barrier thing, true, but that was when the _Nadesico _was under Nergal's orders, and Nergal's orders alone.

A burst of lightening crashed against the ship's shields, rocking the vessel slightly. Lee sighed.

"Adjust your course, Miss Minato, to 096. Down trim, two degrees," the first officer ordered, to better break through an approaching storm front. Minato nodded, bring the _Nadesico_ slightly more port. Megumi, nearby, was monitoring the comm. channels, while in the center (usually where Ruri sat) Pilot Ryoko had been hastily assigned, given that she had an IFS interface, and some experience with large ships. She could only interface through one hand, but it was enough for her to direct the ship's operations.

"Miss Subaru, what is our ETA to the edge of the storm?" Ryoko narrowed her eyes slightly, before replying:

"Give or take, thirty minutes, current speed."

"Very well... Command Deck to engineering. Mister Uribitake?"

"_Yes sir?"_ Asked the engineer, appearing in a holoscreen. Lee looked at his watch, then back up at the engineer.

"The captain is late... Again. Mind waking her up?" The engineer smirked wickedly.

"_With pleasure, sir... Commencing fire suppression in five... four... three... two...-"_ His countdown was interrupted by a harried-looking Captain Yurika Mizamura rushing onto the bridge.

"I'm here! I'm here! Sorry about the wait!" Yurika cried, panting from running the length of the ship. Lee smirked, before turning to Uribitake. The chief engineer looked disappointed.

"Chief, cancel the fire suppression drill."

"_Aw... Aye sir,_" the chief said, looking miffed, before closing the window. Yurika didn't look too please either.

"MISTER Lee... I was under the impression that _I_, not _you_, was in command of this ship!" Lee looked nonchalant, as he got up and took his seat at the first officer's station.

"Yes sir, you are."

"Then _why_ do you feel the need to _torment_ me?!" Yurika bawled, looking furious. Lee coughed slightly.

"Well... Permission to speak freely, Captain?" Yurika crossed her arms, glaring at him, as he turned back in his seat to face her.

"Granted..."

"Given that, yes, you are our captain, I thought you might have a bit more... Respect, regarding time." Lee crossed his own arms and stared back at her. "This is a warship, after all. And the military runs on time."

"I _know_ that, but a simple wake up call is _better_ than soaking me and _my quarters_ with water!" Lee shrugged.

"We tried that, remember Captain? It still didn't work. You just went back to sleep." Yurika sighed, rubbing her temples, before slumping in her chair. Lee, leaning forward, lowered his voice so that Minato (ship's Gossip Gertie, as he'd privately labeled her) could not hear.

"I know... You are distracted by Tenkawa being absent... But, it's like this: When you're in command, you have to command. It's your job, sir, and you need to do it. Now, I might be able to run this ship, but it's you the crew follows." Yurika looked up, a slightly surprised expression on her face.

"You... You mean that?" Lee smiled encouragingly.

"Of course! I mean... You are the ship's guiding light... You hold us together, and inspire us to be more than what we are. Me, well," Lee sighed, shaking his head. "I'm just a first officer. I'm supposed to be your gofur." Yurika blinked.

"Gopher? What do you mean, you're my 'gopher'?" Lee sweatdropped.

"Er... Well, it's a term that means, basically, your assistant. I go for this, go for that... I'm supposed to be the unpopular commander of the ship." Yurika raised an eyebrow.

"Unpopular? Come now, Lieutenant... I always hear from the Chief and Miss Wong how much they like having you around... And Ruri seems to like you too..." Lee shrugged, scratching the back of his head.

"Er, well... It's... Difficult to explain."

"Indulge me, please," Yurika urged, leaning back. "I need something to keep my mind off things." Lee leaned back in his own chair, mentally shrugged, and cleared his throat.

"Well, on United States warships, the first officer is supposed to, basically, carry out the captain's orders. He's supposed to make the tough decisions regarding the ship and it's crew. Like, if we needed to seal off a section of a ship and space it to put out fires, but we'd kill some people in the process... The first officer is supposed to make those kinds of decisions." Yurika looked thoughtful.

"Huh... So, I'm the 'good cop', and you're the 'bad cop'? Something like that?" Lee nodded.

"In essence..." Yurika, at this, smiled and leaned forward.

"But, remember, lieutenant, that this isn't a United States warship." Lee chuckled slightly.

"I sometimes wish it were... At least then, we wouldn't have Prospector on our backs every five minutes about costs and working for Nergal and all that other nonsense..." Yurika smirked.

"Yes, that's true... And, no former sex-Er, secretaries being our co-pilots," the blue-haired captain mused, a slightly evil look on her face as she regarded Erina Wong, talking with Akatsuki near one of the large viewports forward. Lee laughed.

"And no board of directors breathing down our necks..."

"Wouldn't we have the Secretary of the Navy, instead, breathing down our necks?" Yurika asked. Lee shrugged.

"Well, yes... But, at least the Secretary's worried about your lives more than his profits." Yurika shook her head, laughing quietly.

"Heh... So, how did you get assigned to the _Nadesico?_" Lee blinked.

"Hm? What do you mean...?" Yurika sighed, sitting up and looking intently into Lee's eyes.

"The UESF assigned the Admiral to keep an eye on us... No other reason than that, because they don't trust us," Yurika murmured. "Now... I've watched you, Lieutenant, and I don't think you're a spy... But, you had an outstanding record. A bright future with the US Navy. So, why would you be assigned to a mercenary ship?" Lee looked confused.

"Uh, well... Yes..." The American sighed.

"I guess... That's thanks to my uncle. He's an admiral with the Second Earth fleet, aboard the battle carrier _Kennedy._ He recommended me for the job, had all the right contacts... I asked him why, after I got here. Why did he go through all this trouble? I mean, sure, I'm his nephew, and I'm a pretty good officer... But this seemed like a bit more than that." Yurika nodded thoughtfully.

"What reason did he give?" Lee shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

"He said, 'Look John: That battleship's crewed by beautiful, smart and deadly women. You're twenty-seven, and you're _certainly_ not gay! So, if you think I'm not going to leap at the chance to get you out of this boring bachelor lifestyle of yours, you're out of your fucking mind!'" Lee rolled his eyes, as Yurika laughed out loud.

"He's... A very interesting fellow, my uncle..."

"Maybe we should introduce him to my father..." Yurika mused, giggling slightly. Lee paled.

"Please, no... For the love of God..." Yurika shook her head, before giving the American a coy smile.

"So Lee... Had any luck getting out of your 'bachelor lifestyle?'" Lee flushed slightly.

"Er, well... It wouldn't be... Ya know... Appropriate, sir..." Yurika smirked.

"Maybe I could help you out... You know, for the admiral's sake... Arrange a date for you? I hear that Miss Wong likes French restaurants..." Lee growled.

"You do, and I swear to God, I'll put Tenkawa and Subaru in the same quarters!" Yurika gasped.

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me."

Yurika shook her head sadly.

"Oh, you're no fun... All right then... I guess, since that's your decision, I'll just have to call up your uncle and my daddy and see what they come up with," Yurika sighed dramatically, getting up. Lee, though somewhat pale, smirked.

"They might try to arrange _our _marriage, you know... If they started talking..." He warned. Yurika paused, considered this, before turning and sitting back down at her desk.

"_Touché_, XO," Yurika noted, smiling at him. Lee smiled back, before turning to his console, whistling quietly.

* * *

Megumi entered the sick bay, just as she had every day after Jun's accident. She sat down, talked to him, related her day to him, and, sometimes (when the nurse wasn't looking) got in bed and laid with him, just holding his still form, remembering...

Today was no different. She just sat next to the comatose lieutenant, leaning her head against his chest, and listened to his slow, steady heartbeat.

"... Jun... I... I don't know what to do," Megumi sighed. "I've... I've been waiting for a while... And I'm starting to lose hope... And every day I forget a little more... Your voice is starting to fade, your touch..." The purple-haired voice actress took a deep breath. "I... Don't know if you can hear me... I sort of wish you can't... But, I was thinking of-"

"Don't." Megumi froze. She lifted her head up from Jun's chest, and slowly turned to face the head of the bed. Blinking owlishly, Jun stared at her.

"Don't... Even... Think... About... It..." He managed, every word requiring all of his strength to form. Megumi's jaw dropped, then closed, then opened again... Before she broke into a grin and glomped the stuffing out of Jun, who gasped.

"JUN! Oh God, you're awake! You're awake! You're finally awake! Thank God!" Jun, weakly, patted her back, managing a slight smile.

"Yeah..."

* * *

"So... I guess this means, I'm out of a job?" Lee asked, standing at the desk of Mr. Prospector. At his side stood Captain Yurika, who was glowing at the news of her former first officer's recovery.

"Not quite," Prospector said diplomatically. "I'm afraid that... The cost of keeping Lt. Aoi on life support for all these months has been... Rather high." Yurika's giddiness was crushed in an instant.

"Huh?" The blunette asked. Prospector coughed, then shrugged.

"We, ah... Well... With all the nano-probe treatments, the feeding tube, the electrical power-It was starting to add up, and, well..."

"So, what? You're just going to throw him off the ship?" Yurika demanded, annoyed. Lee set his jaw.

"Well, no... But, we already have a first officer who is being paid by the US military, rather than Nergal... And, well, considering that we'd have to pay for Lt. Aoi's services if we took him on instead..." Prospector shrugged, smiling wanly. Yurika fumed.

"That's my _best_ _friend_ in the whole wide world! He saved the ship, which is a _lot _more expensive than medical treatment! _And_, he's one of the finest officers in the entire UESF! Doesn't that count for _anything?!_" The captain snarled, getting right up in the frightened accountant's face. Lee looked thoughtful for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"Ahem, captain? Mr. Prospector? If I may?" Yurika kept glaring at Prospector, even as she backed off. Mr. Prospector looked thankful to Lieutenant Lee.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant," the accountant offered, smiling in relief. Lee looked over at the captain, who nodded shortly, before beginning.

"Well... I've been going over some comparisons between the _Nadesico_ and other ships in the UESF of comparable size and crew compliment... And I have noticed a slight discrepancy." Prospector frowned, while Yurika looked at her XO curiously.

"Go on..." Prospector prompted. Lee shrugged.

"This discrepancy is that, the average fighter squadron aboard a ship of the same size, role, and crew compliment as the _Nadesico_, of which there are quite a few, is roughly ten or twelve active fighters at any one time. Even when I just compared the _Nadesico_ to other mobile battleships in the fleet, the average is above six fighters for the standard warship." Prospector's frown deepened.

"You're saying we need another pilot?" Lee shrugged, smiling slightly.

"Well, bringing us up to UESF standards is probably something we should afford." Prospector raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"How much difference can one fighter possibly make?" Yurika, catching on to the idea, smiled sweetly at the accountant.

"Well, Mr. Prospector, Jun is a qualified pilot. And, even though he doesn't have as much flight experience as the other pilots onboard, he excelled in war theory and fighter strategies at the military academy we went to. As a commander of our squadron, he'd be a great asset and would probably improve our overall effectiveness." Lee nodded, smiling a bit more.

"And, Chief Uribitake's been doing the paperwork (and work) of chief engineer, chief maintenance officer, landing signal officer, and the commander of the air group, or CAG. And we all know how much the Chief hates paperwork. He's critically behind on Aestivalis pilot reports, training status..."

"And," added Yurika, "he hasn't arranged training schedules, or made reports on the status of landings our pilots have made, and he's not really much for mission briefings. Which, I might add, are all the job of the commander of the air group." Prospector sighed, pushing his glasses higher on his nose.

"But really, we can do all of that with existing personnel!" Lee and Yurika exchanged a look, before smiling.

"Yes, but..." Yurika began.

"Jun is the only one of our officers with experience commanding and managing a fighter squadron..." Lee continued.

"And the only one of our officers with IFS piloting capability," Yurika finished. Prospector sighed.

"Maybe... But, I still don't see _how_ we can afford to keep him!"

"He'll take a fifty-percent cut in pay?" Offered Yurika. Prospector's eyes lit up, and he smiled.

"It's a deal! Lt. Jun Aoi, as of this moment, is our new CAG!" Yurika and Lee smiled, bowed their thanks, and left the now-whistling accountant's office. Once out in the passageway, they high-fived.

"Yay! We did it!" Yurika said happily.

"Yeah!" Lee grinned. The American then frowned.

"But... There is the little problem of, err, you know..." Yurika blinked quizzically.

"What?"

"Telling Jun that his paycheck's been cut in half?" Yurika looked thoughtful.

"Well... Would this be a job for the XO, or the captain?" Lee shrugged slightly.

"In another case, I'd say it'd be my job... But, given your relationship with Jun, he might take it easier if it came from his, uh... _best friend_..." Yurika nodded and smiled.

"Of course! Good thinking, Lieutenant! I'll see you on the bridge!" The bubbly captain headed off, while Lee turned and, shaking his head, walked back to the bridge.

"That is _so_ not something I want to-"

The scream of "_WHAT?!"_ echoed through the corridor, causing Lee to wince.

"-get involved in..."

* * *

Poor Jun... But anyway:

NEXT TIME: You're the Next Captain of the _Nadesico!_ With Jun as a fighter pilot!

You're the Next Captain of the With Jun as a fighter pilot! 

... Aside from that, not much else... But, I'll try to come up with something...

R&R, please!


	6. You're the Next Captain of the Nadesico!...

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Episode 19 - You're the Next Captain of the _Nadesico!_

Trials and Transitions

Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: _Martian Successor Nadesico_ is not my property. I am not making any profit on this endeavor in any way.

The massive battlecarrier _USS Enterprise_ easily dwarfed the _Nadescio._ Over three times the mobile battleship's length, and four times the mass, she manuevered slowly but majestically, a mighty whale alongside the dolphin that was the Nergal vessel. It's central hull was particularly whale-like, with it's long, sloping nose, curved ventral sections, and large engine modules for the tail. On either side of the battlecarrier sat a large, heavily armored hanger nacelles, connected by heavy pylons to the central hull. In these were contained over fifty combat craft, which, combined with the warship's heavy cannons, extensive shielding, and batteries of rail guns, made the _Enterprise_ positively lethal to anything to come into conflict with her.

"... I know what you're thinking. She looks like a crocodile on pontoons," Lieutenant Lee broke the quiet that had enveloped the bridge when the massive battlecarrier had come alongside. Minato, below, snorted and covered her mouth to contain giggles, while Ruri looked impassively on the American vessel. Megumi giggled openly, while Yurika turned to her XO with a small smile.

"Well, I was going to say alligator on waterskis, but yours is good too." The captain turned back to the vessel, raising an eyebrow. "Who designed it, anyway? I mean, it's certainly impressive... Just... Odd-looking." Lee chuckled slightly.

"Heh... There are a few stories to explain it... Probably the most believable one is that the head designer at Norfolk Naval Yards was a _Battlestar Galactica_ fan." Yurika blinked at the American.

"_Battlestar _whatsit?" Lee smirked.

"It was a popular science fiction TV program in the early 21st century, and our battlecarriers look a lot like the title ship from that show." Yurika smirked back.

"Makes the Jovians with their worship of Gekiganger look almost normal." Lee raised an eyebrow.

"The _Enterprise_ is requesting permission to dock, captain," Megumi reported. "They say they have a VIP that they're transporting here." Lee and Yurika exchanged looks, before Yurika nodded and turned back to Megumi.

"Megumi, inform _Enterprise_ that they have permission. We will meet them at the airlock. Ruri, carry out docking procedures."

"Yes Captain," Ruri and Megumi repsonded, as Yurika once again turned to Lee. Lee shrugged.

"Don't look at me... I wasn't informed that anyone would be coming to meet us out here." Yurika nodded, before clearing her throat.

"Very well... Let's go meet this VIP then, shall we?

The airlock of the _Nadesico_ was a tidy affair, white and plain, as compared to the honor guard that was arrayed outside of it. Members of the security team had quickly changed into Nergal dress uniforms and held up rifles in a respectful salute, while Lee and the captain stood at attention at the end of the honor guard, standing at attention. The airlock thudded slightly, as the much larger _Enterprise_ connected, unseen, to the smaller _Nadesico._ Another loud thud sounded, announcing that a hard seal had been made between the two ships. Finally, the lock on the hatch turned, opening the door with a small sigh of pressurized air.

And stepping onto the _Nadesico,_ a woman with long, greying black hair, green US Army BDUs, and a big smile stepped aboard.

"_Jon! _Oh, I'm _so_ glad to see you!" The woman cried happily, completely ignoring the bewildered honor guard, before hugging the shocked Lee with grizzly bear strength.

"_M-Mom!_ What are you doing here!" The lieutenant gasped, as his mother, Lieutenant General Grace Lee, released him, smiling broadly. Yurika's (as well as every one else's) jaw were hanging flaccid, as the petite woman grinned.

"Oh, I had a few months shore leave coming up, after the ground offensive against those Jovian bastards in Puerto Rico (they sure made a mess of things, left thousands homeless), and the _Enterprise_ was being assigned patrol duty to the moon, so I tagged along! How have you been, Jon?" The general Lee gave her son a glare.

"You haven't written in months! What is wrong with you, son? This is-Huh?" Grace noticed Yurika, staring at her in amazement, before adopting a proud smile.

"Ohhhh... I see! So, when's the wedding? Hm? Soon, I hope? You two haven't gone and made me a grandchild already, have you?" Yurika and Lee blanched, jumping to opposite sides of the passageway, while the honor guards watched, amused.

"_MOM!_ She-She-She's my _commanding officer!"_ Lee yelped, while Yurika shuddered.

"Y-Yes! And besides, um, I'm spoken for!" Grace looked rather disappointed, but soon brightened.

"Oh well... Your father, Captain, and I had a long talk... You could do _much_ worse than my Jonathan here, you know that! And what's this about marrying a cook?" Grace tutted, taking Yurika's wrist and squeezing it. She harumphed. "Why, you poor dear, all skin and bones... So _that's_ why you're pining after a cook!" Grace scowled, shaking her head at the wide-eyed Yurika. Lee coughed, taking his mother's hands off his captain.

"Ah, mother? Um... You know, it's against regs to commandeer a ship for your shore leave-" Grace looked at her son, suddenly outraged.

"_WHAT?_ Do you presume, Lieutenant Lee, to know more about the Uniformed Code of Justice than I do?" Lee coughed again.

"Ah, no ma'am, however, if you didn't have any other reason than seeing me-" Grace looked aghast.

"Why, no son! Of course not!" Grace dug around in her BDUs, and pulled out a poster. Happily, she showed it to both the captain and Lee.

"I'm here to help judge this contest!" She replied cheerfully, while both commanders of the _Nadesico_ gaped.

"_WHAT!"_

"And the winner gets this big pop star contract! So, what are you doing for the talent contest, huh Ryoko? I'm gonna sing a song!" Hikaru bubbled enthusiastically. Rogue scowled.

"I'm not going." Hikaru blinked, and gaped at her friend.

"Huh? Why not? Huh, why not?"

"I don't want to," Ryoko replied flatly.

"Oh, hmph," she grumbled, chewing on her noodles. Izumi, leaning over so close to Ryoko, the green-haired pilot backed off in shock. She then sucked up her noodles and grinned creepily at Ryoko.

"Well then, if you're not entering, after this war is over, do you have any plannnsss?" She asked. Ryoko looked past Izumi's shoulder, noticing that Akito was being complimented by Mrs. Howmei on one of his dishes. The two pilots blocked her view, smiling cattily. Ryoko jumped back.

"It's none of your business!" The green-haired pilot cried angrily, while Izumi and Hikaru giggled.

"I bet I know what she wants," Hikaru leered.

"And where she wants it," Izumi added, before they collapsed into giggles. Ryoko, her face bright red, whacked both pilots in the head with dishes. At that moment, Jun walked into the mess hall, eyeing Ryoko and the others. Ryoko, embarrassed, shoved the plates behind her back.

"All right, all pilots, listen up! I've arranged for an exchange between us and the _Enterprise_'s flight crew. In essence, we'll be sending over a few pilots to see their flight ops, and they'll send a few here to see ours." Jun handed a sheet of paper to Akito and Ryoko, eyeing them both. "You two will go over to the _Enterprise._ You are then to meet with Deck Chief Martinez, who will show you around. I'll be showing around the pilots from the _Enterprise._ Report to the _Enterprise_ portflight pod at 1300 hours, which is in..." Jun checked his watch. "Five minutes." Ryoko coughed, before looking at an equally frazzled Akito. This was her chance...!

"Understood, sir!" Ryoko saluted, vaulting over her table and fairly dragging Akito out of the galley. "C'mon, Tenkawa! Let's go!"

"B-B-But!" Akito protested, as the green-haired pilot pulled him with her out the door. Jun smiled, as he sat down and began to whistle, looking through his paperwork. Izumi leaned close to him, looking inquisitive.

"Pretty conveinient to put Ryoko and Tenkawa together, no?" Asked Hikaru, grinning at the CAG. "A bit too conveinient, ne Izumi?"

"Very... It all falls into place, in space," Izumi rhymed, smiling creepily. Jun smirked.

"Well, let's just say that Admiral Mizamura and General Lee wanted me to... Personally make sure that their children were given as much time together as possible," the lieutenant chuckled. "I wonder what Yurika will say if she finds out she's being played matchmaker, rather than playing it herself..."

The hanger pod of the _Enterprise_ was so long Akito could barely see the other end of it. Even without all the technicians, machines, and spacecraft being moved around constantly, the entire deck abuzz with activity. Next to him, Ryoko turned and smirked slightly at Akito's expression. She'd reacted very much like him when she'd first entered flight school, and practiced landing on the training carrier the JSSDF maintained in orbit of Earth.

However, the _Enterprise_ was several times larger than the _Narushia_ had been. Not to mention significantly warmer.

"Oi! You guys!" Akito and Ryoko turned at the shout, and saw a stocky, well-built woman with short blonde hair and a cigar at one corner of her mouth grinning at them. She was dressed in what appeared to be a flight suit, though significantly different from the _Nadesico_ suits.

"Ah, y-yes?" Akito asked, as the woman came up to them both and grinned, her cigar smoke wafting around her face.

"You're from the _Nadesico,_ right? Chief Martinez couldn't make it-A problem with one of the water recyclers, but anyway, I'm supposed t' give you the grand tour, kapische? Name's Lieutenant Sara Trace," the blonde woman introduced herself, holding out a hand to Ryoko. The green haired pilot shook it, sizing up the other woman as she shook Akito's hand with the same firm grip she'd just felt, the cook wincing slightly.

"Akito Tenkawa..."

"Ryoko Subaru," the green-haired woman replied, smiling at the American's air of confidence. She carried herself without owing anything to anybody, and her hair was tussled as though she'd recently been in a fight.

"So yeah... Lemme' show you around... That over there, are the launch tubes, which basically just shoot out the fighters into the fight. Our larger craft are lifted by elevator to the landing bay overhead," Trace stated, gesturing over to pentagon-shaped openings in the bulkhead, with a number of craft being ferried over to them. "Our fighters are pulled by the roombas-"

"Wait... Roombas?" Akito asked, perplexed. He then yelped as something flew past his feet, and Ryoko looked on a small, circular object that raced along the floor, weaving around the legs of technicians as it finally came to rest at the forward landing strut of a spacecraft, and latched onto it with a pair of silver arms.

"Well, they're technically called 'Flightdeck Movement Robots', but we just call 'em roombas. They go around, using a powerful electromagnetic rail system underneath the deck plates to pull our fighters and other craft around to where they need to go," Trace explained, smiling at the cook's expression.

"Er... I've noticed that you use... Well, you don't use Aestivalis... Why's that?" Akito asked, as Ryoko smiled inwardly, the blonde pilot leading them over to one of the American fighter craft. Ryoko reflected that it was among the strangest-looking vehicles she'd ever seen: It's nose was a grey, long barreled cannon, seemingly a single module, that was locked under a bright-red smooth, domed oval-shaped module-Probably where the pilot was situated. Underneath this module, directly behind the cannon, was a form-fitting blue-and-white module that extended into two, leg-like structures, with red lining what were presumably the vehicle's engines. And, flanking the sides of the fighter, two single pods sat, holding up two wings each-One long, sharply-angled, grey with yellow lining that looked to be variable geometry, with a smaller, red wing that looked more like a flattened thruster that fit perfectly into the back of the larger wing. It's landing gear was a simple affair, subtly-reinforced struts that looked far too thin to support the bulk of the fighter they were holding up.

"Maintenance reasons, basically..." Trace explained, looking over the odd fighter with a smile. "The mecha have so many moving parts, and in order for our carriers to be really effective, we need a large air wing. So, we basically decided that fielding large numbers of traditional fighters was preferable to just smaller numbers of mecha. Besides, I'd take the Eagle over a big robot any day." Akito blinked, and looked over the hull of the fighter. On it's side was _LT. SARA TRACE, USN. _Underneath this was _STARFOX_, in apostrophes.

"The Eagle?" Asked Akito. Sara grinned, blowing out a cloud of rich cigar smoke that made the cook cough.

"Yep... More precise, the SF/A-36 Eagle 2... Our premier strike fighter. She's got the same shielding as the Aesti, but with her internal helium-3 fusion drive, she has a lot longer range and can carry a heavier weapons load." Trace took out her cigar and gestured over her fighter proudly.

"Best part is, she's completely modular-Her engines, power drive, wings, cockpit section, and weapons package are all swappable. The standard armament is our big directed fusion cannon you see right there. It's got enough He-3 to wipe out a couple squadrons of those Bug fighters, and a capital ship or two, if we get lucky." Akito had moved to the other side of the Eagle, and blinked at the stickers adorning the side of it. Marked on it were a number of Gekiganger-shaped icons. The cook turned to Trace, and, in a quiet voice asked, "Ah... Wh-What are those stickers for?"

Trace laughed modestly. "Those? Oh, those are for Geki kills... The big, manned Jovian 'bots. I got four of them in a single action." Ryoko and Akito choked.

__

"Four!" Trace grinned.

"It's not as hard as you think... Compared to the little bugs, they're a piece of cake. Sure, they can FTL jump, but they're _really_ predictable. They always try to jump right in front of you, claws out, trying to grab you. Or, they'll jump and try to hit you at point-blank range with their cannon. Either way, all you have to do is keep moving. Eventually, they'll jump where you can get a good shot at them." Kara leaned forward, as though divulging a secret.

"'Tween you and me, I think those _extra_-large robots are just to compensate for somethin' the pilot's lacking, ya know? Under the belt?" Ryoko laughed loudly at that, as Akito blushed bright red. Sara raised an eyebrow at Akito, as though seeing him for the first time.

"So, what do you do on the _Nadesico_? You, ah... Cabin boy or somethin'?" Akito sweatdropped, as Ryoko smirked.

"Actually, he's a pilot... A really good one, too. He once took out a whole fleet of Jovian warships all on his own!" Trace grinned broadly, wrapping an arm around both pilot's shoulders.

"Hey, me too! It was over the New Berlin colony... This buncha bastards kept trying to trap the big _E_ between them and the moon. So, I dove in, rammed their lead ship's shields at just the right angle, ignited a fuel line, and got out of there just before it blew and took out it's buddies along with it! So, how'd you do it?" Trace asked, smiling eagerly. Akito coughed, slightly embarrassed.

"Uh, er... Basically... The same way?" Kara blinked, before smiling even more broadly.

"Hey! Nice job... Damn those Jovian ships have a bad habit of exploding, don't they? Heh, almost feel sorry for their crews..." Sara shook her head. "Speaking of which, let me tell you about our crews on the flight deck. First, everywhere you look, you've got your technicians-those guys in the yellow. They fix the ships and make sure you come back in one piece. Those guys in the red are munitions-Got balls of steel, I tell you, to cart around mini-nukes. The grapes-Er, folks in purple, are fuel handlers. The orange suits are DC-damage control-crew. They put out fires, seal off decompressions-Basically, wherever the ship is hit, they'll be all over it in seconds." Sara nodded with a grin, putting her cigar back in her mouth.

"So, anything else you wanna see? I could show you the brig..."

"She's been in it enough times," laughed a voice behind them. Akito and Ryoko turned from the flight deck to see another pilot, tall and rugged handsome, walking over with a big smirk. Sara smiled sweetly and said, "Fuck you, Husker."

"Nah, I'm good, thanks Starfox," Husker responded, shaking his head. He looked over Trace's shoulder and noted Ryoko and Akito. "So, these the pilots from _Nadesico?_"

"Yes, uh, sir," Akito responded nervously, as the American pilot walked up and slapped him on the back, grinning. Akito was nearly bowled over.

"Ah! The corporate cavaliers... The profiteering pilots... The-"

"Amazing! He can use words with more than three sylabyls!" Trace laughed, ducking a playful punch from the male pilot. Ryoko looked offended.

"Hey! We're not some kind of-"

"Mercenaries?" Asked Husker. Ryoko stopped, and coughed.

"Uh... Er... Well..." Husker shrugged and laughed.

"Hey, relax girl! No problem, no problem... I mean, you guys have been fighting the good fight, giving the Jovians hell... Same as us. It would have been nice if you'd shown up a lot earlier, though..." Kara sighed sadly.

"We lost thirteen battlecarriers alone trying to hold Mars... The _Independence,_ the _Halsey,_ the _Colin Powell_, the _Stennis-_ The list goes on. Until we sucked it up and bought the shield upgrades from Nergal, we were losing about as many ships as we were destroying." Kara snorted.

"Nergal's got a monopoly on the technology needed to fight the Jovians, so they can charge whatever they want-We have to pay for it or we're screwed. As it is, they've got the UESF over a barrel."

"What else is new," grumbled Ryoko.

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I know, I know... Sorry for splitting up the chapters. The Captain Search is next! RR!


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